Greenstone for a Digital Map Library

For my software evaluation assignment I chose to study the Greenstone digital library software for creating an online collection of maps. I hypothesized that the University of Toronto Map Library would want to make its 230,000 maps available for public access into a digital map library. Here are my executive summary and conclusions.

Purpose – This report evaluates Greenstone, an open source digital library software, and its potential for creating a digital collection at a map library.

Approach – An introduction to open source software and digital libraries, as well as the unique requirements for a map collection are presented. The Greenstone project is evaluated based on the total cost of ownership and the risks of implementation.

Recommendations – Greenstone is found to be a stable and inexpensive option for a digital map library. Evaluation of other open source software projects is necessary to confirm that Greenstone is the most useful. A trial study through installation of the software will have to be completed to provide more information about the practicality and usability.

This report finds the Greenstone software worthy of further investigation for a digital map library project. Future evaluation should include a trial period of software use by both librarians and end-users. This test should focus on the usefulness of the software for maps specifically, as well as a study of the usability. It is highly recommended that an open source project is used for this project. To be sure that Greenstone is the best option, other open source software for digital libraries must be evaluated, such as DSpace or Fedora. There are also applications specific to geographic information, which facilitate interactions with the maps by the end user. This may be a functionality that can be built into any software. A digital map library will increase the use of the University of Toronto’s public map collection by reaching a wider audience online. This study proposes that Greenstone software offers the support necessary for this project.